How to Get Children to Share

Offer positive statements when kids are sharing, such as "Great job sharing!"

Whether you are a parent, a teacher or a caregiver, teaching children how to share is not always an easy task, especially for young children. Children younger than 7 are generally the hardest to teach because children are naturally born selfish, and sharing is an attribute that they must learn. Sharing is a fundamental part of life, for all age groups, including adults. When teaching children to share, you must understand their thought processes in order to help them understand the importance of it.

Instructions

1. Recognize the age group of the children. Younger children often do not share as well as older children, and you must consider this when teaching children to share. A study conducted by Ernst Fehr at the University of Zurich showed that children around the age 7 or 8 begin learning the importance of sharing, while only a small percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds understand it.

2. Talk about sharing regularly. As soon as a child is old enough to listen, begin talking to him about the basics of sharing. This is a good habit to do prior to play dates with other children. It may not stop kids from being selfish, but it is a good reminder to them about the importance of sharing and what it means to share.

3. Practice sharing. Play a game with your child that involves taking turns with toys. Explain that he gets to play with it first and then it is your turn. If he gets mad when it is your turn, take the toy away and try the game with another toy. Be sure to tell him the rules and consequences of the game before playing it.

4. Set a timer. If children begin to fight over toys or games, tell them that you are setting a timer. One child gets the toy first, and when the timer goes off, it is the other child's turn.

5. Set aside special toys. If your child has one or two items that are very special to him, do not make him share those. Instead, put them aside before other children arrive. Let your child know that you value his thoughts on these items but that now he should willingly share his other toys. Convince the child that these set-aside toys are extremely valuable and that it will be your secret with the child that you will not tell the other children.

6. Teach children to solve the problem on their own. Before playing, tell the children that if you must settle an argument over an object, you will take the object away and no one will get a turn with it. This might encourage the children to solve the problem on their own.

References

• Gagazine; 6 Ways on How to Get Your Child to Share; Jane Heiza; March 2009
• Web MD; Children Learn to Share by Age 7 or 8; Caroline Wilbert;
• Parenting; 4 Ways to Get Your Child to Share; Diana Burrell